How Wrong Are Tears
by Kitsune no Rai
Summary: Crying. That one word crosses the ninja code. That one line crosses the Hyuga etiquette. Is it so wrong? Kurenai and Hinata must decide that for themselves.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"_You understand that Hinata will be going on missions where there is a chance she will die, right?" Kurenai asked Hiashi, leader of the Hyuga._

"_I don't care. She's dead to me."_

_Kurenai's face held a look of disgust as she walked out the door. She turned to her left to see Hinata standing there outside the door, staring at the floor._

* * *

"Sorry if my place isn't that big, Hinata," Kurenai stated as she and Hinata walked into Kurenai's apartment. Hinata had not said a word since Kurenai came over to the Hyuga compound and helped with her packing. She had been instructed by her father to leave the household, due to her weakness and lack of potential. The Hyuga stared at the hardwood flooring in self-disdain. 

"You can drop the bags here, Hinata. Let me show you around," Kurenai attempted to change the mood, but was failing miserably. Hinata and Kurenai dropped the bags at the door. Kurenai grabbed the girl's hand and walked her past the doorway after closing the door behind her.

"This is the kitchen as you can see," Kurenai began, pointing to the right. The kitchen was small. Maybe enough to fit three or four people. There was a refrigerator beside a kitchen sink and a counter that looped around the walls that lead to an oven and microwave. There were a couple of chairs by the entrance to the kitchen. Hinata assumed that's where she'll be eating from now on.

Kurenai pointed to the back of the room. It looked like it had it's own little section. "That's the living room." It was small. All it had in it was a white couch to the far right and a long table underneath a rug. There was a mid sized t.v. there, but it was dusty and appeared to hardly ever be in use.

Kurenai led Hinata down a hallway to the right and opened the door. "This is my room," she stated. Her room was junky to say the least. Clothes surrounded the floor and bed, making it hard to tell were everything is. Hinata noticed a bathroom leading off to the left of the room before Kurenai closed the door abruptly.

"Sorry about that. I haven't had much time to do housecleaning." Hinata shook her head.

"T-that's alright."

'She spoke,' Kurenai thought as she led Hinata to the opposite hallway. Kurenai opened the door and stepped inside.

"This is your new room, Hinata," Kurenai stated with a grin on her face. Hinata stepped inside the room and looked around. The room had a quaint feel to it. There was a bed in the left hand corner with white sheets and a night stand beside it. There was a dresser beside the entrance to the door as well as a desk beside it. To the right lead to the bathroom. The bathroom had a tiled floor with a bath/shower to the right, and a toilet behind it, both were separated by a white wall. The sink was on the opposite side with a cabinet beneath it.

Hinata heard Kurenai walk behind her and place a welcoming shoulder on her. "Welcome home, Hinata," Kurenai spoke softly, almost maternally.

'She's so kind to me, even though I'll just be a burden to her,' Hinata thought.

"T-thank you," Hinata replied bowing to her sensei.

"Let's get you settled in," Kurenai suggested as they walked to the front and grabbed Hinata's things, taking them to the back room.

* * *

Kurenai walked into her newly shared apartment, carrying food in a small bag. She figured that Hinata would want some takeout instead of eating her cooking. Kurenai took off her sandals and walked into the kitchen. 

"What?" There on the counter top was a small bowl of rice with a note on the side of it. Kurenai placed the food on the counter and picked up the note.

_Thank you. I know I can never repay your kindness to me. This is the least I can do._

"Oh, Hinata," Kurenai mumbled as she sat down at the table, placing the note beside her. Hinata had hit a soft part in her heart as she picked up the chopsticks beside the rice. She placed the food in her mouth and chewed it quickly.

"It's good," she realized. "A little cold, but still, it's not burnt at all." Kurenai began eating the rice down to the last grain. She placed the chopsticks into the bowl and grabbed the food in the bag beside her. She walked down the hallway and began to hear noises coming from Hinata's room.

'Sobbing!' Kurenai noted. She quickened her pace and walked into Hinata's room. There she was, sitting on her bed crying. Her face lifted off her hands as she stared at Kurenai. 'How did I not hear that?' The jounin walked towards the girl in front of her.

"Kurenai-sensei, I..." Hinata never finished the sentence. Kurenai wrapped her arms around the Hyuga.

"It's okay. In cases like these it's okay," Kurenai comforted. She placed the food on the night stand and sat on the bed beside Hinata, who was still had tears coming down her face. Kurenai reached over to her again and hugged her, bringing her face to her chest as she continued sobbing.

"I- I just... feel... so useless," Hinata stated between sobs. Kurenai placed her hand behind Hinata's head.

"You're not useless, Hinata," Kurenai replied.

"Then, then why does my father not love me anymore?" Hinata mumbled. Kurenai didn't know how to respond. Her grip tightened some as she thought of a response.

"Did my father ever love me?" Hinata continued.

"Hinata, I..." the words simply wouldn't come. Nothing she thought of could make the situation better. It was best she told her what she knew was true.

"Hinata, I love you," Kurenai began.

The girl looked up at her sensei. "What?"

"I love you," she repeated. "So does Shino and Kiba. They believe in you."

"But I've let them down so many times. What if they don't give me another chance like my father?" The tears began to fall again.

"They would never to that." Hinata gasped before staring at her eyes. "Hinata, they believe you can get stronger and so do I." Hinata looked at the floor.

"I just wish my father would believe in me."

"Then get stronger."

Hinata looked at Kurenai again. "Prove your father wrong. Prove that you are not just a waste. Prove to him that you exist for a reason."

"But I..."

"No buts. Just actions. You can't rely on buts and expect to get anywhere. You must keep pressing forward. Remember, there are people who believe in you, but first you must believe in yourself."

'I wish I had Naruto-kun's confidence,' Hinata thought as she thought about the brash boy. "I want to be strong," she mumbled as she grabbed the sleeves on Kurenai's clothing.

"What was that?"

"I want to be strong," she said a little louder.

"Then go for it, Hinata. We will be there to help you. We won't abandon you," Kurenai assured.

Hinata began crying on her again. Kurenai sighed a bit. Her clothes were getting wet, but it didn't matter to her. Material dried. She clutched the broken girl tighter than before as she continued to cry.

"Let it all out now. Let it all out."

Hinata found out in the next few minutes that there was a limit on tears that could be shed. There she was, shaking and hiccuping in her sensei's arms, clearly disregarding the shinobi handbook and the Hyuga composure laws. At this point, she didn't care. Somone actually believed in her, and that was enough.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kurenai said as she reached for the bag on the night stand. "They're probably cold now, but I got you your favorite food: cinnamon rolls." Hinata's eyes widened in happiness as Kurenai handed her one of the sticky buns. Hinata took it and ate it greedily, still shaking and hiccuping. Kurenai let a small smile escape her lips as she handed the bag of cinnamon rolls to Hinata. Hinata took the bag timidly and let a smile pass through.

"That's the first time you smiled since you've been here," Kurenai noted. Hinata blushed a bit.

"It's okay, eat!" Kurenai continued.

Hinata pulled out another roll, her hands shaking. "T-thank you, Kurenai-s-sensei," Hinata said finally before taking the bite of a second cinnamon roll.

Kurenai was grinning now. 'I think I can get used to this.'

* * *

Kurenai laid down in Hinata's bed. The genin had drifted off to sleep shortly after she finished eating. She curled up next to her sensei and never let go of her. "I never did thank her for the dinner," Kurenai spoke aloud. 

She sighed and stared the young girl beside her. Hinata looked so peaceful, smacking her lips before moving her head on Kurenai a little, using her as a soft pillow.

That night Kurenai made two promises to herself.

One, to never abandon her. Two, to show her father how wrong he is. She looked at the girl and saw a bright future.

* * *

A/N: I present to you, my spur of the moment writing. The idea hit me, so I wrote it. Hopefully it was a decent read. Well, R&R. Let me know your thoughts. 


End file.
